Mambarai Muniyappan Swamy Temple- Dindugul

Address

Mambarai Muniyappan Swamy Temple- Dindugul

Mambarai town, Oddanchathiram taluk

Dindigul District

Tamilnadu- 624712.

Moolavar

Muniyappan Swamy

Introduction

Location:

• Situated in Mambarai village, Ottanchathiram Circle, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu.
• Located near Markampatti village, about 20 km from Ottanchathiram.

Unique Worship Practices:

• Exclusively a male worship space; only men worship here.
• Men cook non-vegetarian food (often sheep and cocks), offer it to Muniyappan Swami, and leave any leftovers at the temple, where it is buried in a pit.
• No food is taken back home.

Puranic Significance:

• The temple is believed to be 1000 years old.
• Associated with the story of the Pandavas, Sage Saindhava, and Lord Krishna:
  • While the Pandavas were in exile, Sage Saindhava awaited a miraculous mango that granted powers.
  • The mango rose when the Pandavas shared their innermost beliefs.
  • After a series of events, Lord Krishna, disguised as a cowherd boy, caused the mango to return to the tree.
  • Sage Saindhava, chasing Krishna, became a stone, now worshipped as “Rishi”.
  • Muniyappan is said to have guarded the Rishi from wild animals.

Temple Structure:

• Muniyappan’s temple has no roof, as he has not permitted one to be built.
• The Rishi’s temple has a very low roof, requiring devotees to bend to enter.

Worship and Rituals:

• The temple does not have regular festivals but is considered a place where personal problems are resolved.
• Devotees perform sacrifices (sheep, cocks) to please Muniyappan.
• Crackers are burst as a form of worship.
• Devotees write their problems on paper and tie them to the temple’s fence.
• New vehicle owners bring their vehicles to the temple for worship.

Beliefs:

• Devotees seeking to resolve financial issues write prayer notes and hang them on the temple fence, believing that their loans will be repaid.
• Once loans are repaid, devotees sacrifice a goat as an offering.
• People visit the temple especially during the months of Tai, Masi, and Adi.
• The temple water is believed to never dry up and is thought to have healing properties when mixed with fresh water.

Significance of Lord Krishna:

• There is also a temple for Lord Krishna at the hilltop where he is believed to have jumped into a pit to escape from Sage Saindhava’s chase.

Century/Period

1000 Years Old

Nearest Bus Station

Mambarai

Nearest Railway Station

Dindigul

Nearest Airport

Madurai

Location on Map

lightuptemple